13 to Watch in '13: Doug Pann works on pilot geopolice district

Sunday

Jan 27, 2013 at 12:01 AMJan 27, 2013 at 8:36 AM

ROCKFORD — Doug Pann knows that introducing a pilot Rockford Police Department district this year won’t be easy. Like many institutions, the Police Department is steeped in tradition and skeptical by nature.

Jeff Kolkey

Meet all 13 people to watch in '13

ROCKFORD — Doug Pann knows that introducing a pilot Rockford Police Department district this year won’t be easy. Like many institutions, the Police Department is steeped in tradition and skeptical by nature.

Pann says the department has reformed some of the ways it operates in an effort to lower crime. The effort continues.

“Every problem is a nail and (every) arrest is the hammer, and how we are going to solve every problem is with an arrest. That’s the traditional policing model. Community policing is more than that. That’s where we need to take all those ideas and problem-solving strategies ... and make it an organizationwide philosophy.”

The Roscoe native, who since 2006 has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, recently was promoted from lieutenant to assistant deputy chief. He will serve as commander of a proposed district meant to blaze a trail for geographic policing — billed as a new way for Rockford to tear down walls between police and residents and among the police themselves.

Pann was chosen from a strong class of up-and-coming commanders to lead the pilot district. The plan is to assign police to three geographic districts, each with a station and an accountable commander. Pann’s mission this year: ID personnel, secure a building in central Rockford and make the long-discussed first district a reality.